Wait for Me
by katkriss
Summary: This story begins right before the season finale of season 3 after Zelena's "defeat". This is how I think everything should happen. The only summary I will leave you with is: Emma, through loss and understanding of true sacrifice, learns the true meaning of her destiny. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it! Swan Queen all the way! Reviews are greatly welcomed! :)
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Ding Dong, the Wicked Witch has been...caught. Now, that just didn't have the right tone to it, now did it? There was something about keeping Zelena alive that didn't sit well with Emma. She was responsible for Neil's death and, if given the chance, would have easily killed Henry as well to get the revenge that she wanted. Emma knew that Regina loved Henry just as much as she did and at first wanted to question why she opted to keep Zelena alive. Why keep her alive to put anyone else at risk? Wasn't it obvious? Zelena was the only family that Regina had left. Evil or not, she had to at least give her sister the chance to redeem herself. Where would they be now if Regina had been killed after her antics had been stopped? Could it be that the evil queen herself was beginning to believe in second chances? Second chances or not, Emma wasn't willing to put Henry into any more harm's way. They were happy in New York. They could be happy again. More importantly, Henry would be safe. With Zelena captured and under watchful eye, Emma didn't see the reason to stay in Storybrooke any longer. She did what she was supposed to do. Could anybody blame her for planning to give Henry a _normal _life?

_All right, Emma. Go in here. Celebrate, and then get the hell out. _She agreed in silence as she sat in her yellow Volkswagen Beetle staring at herself through the rearview mirror above. A loud sigh escaped her lips as she pushed the door open to get out of the car. Her hands brushed over the jeans that she wore with her usual white tank top and red jacket. Flipping her hair out of the collar of her jacket, she made her way toward the front door. Already, she could see the people inside gathered in celebration over their well-deserved win over evil. This time, unlike all of the other times before, they were gathered around a dark-headed beauty who laughed and smiled right along with them this time around. Emma stared quietly outside in the dark at Regina who had her arms wrapped tightly around Henry. She was so happy to have him back in her life. It had to have been the hardest thing that she could've done, giving Henry up for his own happiness. Would she be willing to do it again? This truly was the best thing for Henry. If only anyone had been able to see how happy he was in New York. Even still, Emma couldn't help but to feel the guilt building inside of her at the sight of Regina and Henry holding so tightly to one another. Making her way into the diner, she smiled to the crowd as they turned toward her.

"Emma! We were wondering when you were going to get here! Where have you been?" Snow asked, stepping up to wrap her arms around Emma's shoulder for a hug.

"Sorry. I was...getting ready," she said with a small, hesitant laugh. To be the person who could tell when someone was lying or not and to stand there lying to an entire group of people, Emma felt like the biggest hypocrite ever. None of them would take the news of their departure well. How was she going to tell them that she'd been packing and preparing to head back to New York? The only one who had any idea that she was planning to leave was Hook, and she intended on keeping it that way.

"Like mother, like daughter," David teased, playfully nudging Snow while bouncing their newborn in his arms carefully. Despite Zelena's powers having been taken, nobody wanted to let their guard down just yet. Emma smiled just a little at them before her gaze traveled back over to Regina and Henry. They were so happy and there was a warmth in Regina's eyes that returned when she got her heart back earlier that day. It was hard not to feel the guilt creeping into her own heart when looking her and Henry in the face.

"Mom. I was going to stay with Mom tonight, if that's okay with you?" he asked, his smile spreading entirely across his face. How was Emma going to say no when he looked so unbelievably happy? Her hand reached out to him to ruffle his hair, eyes lifting to Regina's gaze for a moment. She didn't want to insult Regina by playing more of Henry's mother when it was Regina who had raised him from birth.

"Yeah, buddy. That's fine. I need to talk to you tomorrow though, okay? I'll pick you up after breakfast."

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, and Reginna interjected herself into the conversation as well.

"Emma, is everything okay?" she asked, and immediately, Emma regretted everything having spoken about it at all. Good job, Emma. Good damn job. Immediately, she started trying to avoid the subject.

"Oh yeah, everything is fine. We can talk about it later. Don't worry about it," Emma replied, a forced smile on her lips when a familiar voice came out over the group and created knots in her stomach. Not in a good way. No, no. She knew that he was going to spill her news before she was ready.

"She wants to take you back to New York, Henry." Hook's voice echoed in the diner from the front door and was met with silence from everyone in the room. Their smiles dropped instantly while being replaced with looks of shock and hurt. Out of all of the expressions, there were two faces that stuck out to her and created a pain forming in her chest: Henry and Regina. The look in their eyes displayed the confusion, devastation and betrayal that Emma hadn't quite been ready to confront. Immediately, Emma opened her mouth to speak but Regina's hand came up to stop her.

"I just got him back, Emma. You're not going to take him away from me," Regina said, her voice low and filled with a growing rage. It wasn't the words or even the tone in Regina's voice that pained her. It was her eyes that merely asked one question. _Why? _Henry piped in while holding on to Regina. Clearly, Emma was alone in this attempt.

"Yeah, Mom. We're home. I don't want to go back to New York."

"Look. I don't want to do this here, okay? We can talk about it later, but we don't need to have this conversation in front of everyone in the middle of Granny's," Emma started, but she wasn't getting out of this one. Based on the looks of everyone staring at her, she wasn't going to win the Best Savior Award anytime soon. _Please, someone or something interrupt this awful moment_, she thought, right when a loud explosion was heard on the other side of town.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," she muttered to herself as everyone's eyes stared out the window at the large light coming from an area near the pier. That's when the realization hit her. Everyone in town was at Granny's...minus one.

"Where's Gold?" Regina asked, taking the question right out of Emma's mouth. Emma turned and looked back at Regina for a moment when the connection hit both of them. They said nothing and instead, began to run toward the pier area. Nothing good was going to come out of this. That eery feeling of what's to come rushed into the pit of Emma's stomach as she ran to her car and threw the driver's side door open to climb in. As she closed the door behind her, she felt the passenger side door close as well with Henry in the back and Regina sitting in the front seat with her. She met Regina's gaze which held no warmth whatsoever.

"Regina…"

"Drive, _Miss Swan_. We'll discuss everything later," she said coldly. Ouch. They had just gotten on a first name basis and it was back to _Miss Swan._ That surprisingly hurt more than she had initially intended, but she couldn't deal with that right now. She had a town to protect. Emma's jaw clenched just a little as she drove off toward the pier, ignoring her racing heart and hurt feelings as she focused on what lies ahead for them.

The tires screeched to a halt as she saw Zelena's spell from earlier recharged and creating the portal before them. Green smoke formed at the front of the portal as Zelena resurfaced, her arrogant smirk written in stone across her face.

"I must say, you had me captured for a few hours. That was slightly more than I had anticipated. Too bad you all are too stupid to actually stop my curse from happening. The spell has already begun." Zelena laughed as the portal opened behind her, forming a large opening on the ground for her to step into. Regina was the first to step forward, hands in the air to use her light magic against a woman she so easily defeated before.

"I don't think so, Zelena. You're not going anywhe-" Regina's words were interrupted by the sound of her own gasp as her body fell forward a few steps, revealing an arrow that had been lodged into her back.

"Mom!"

"Regina!" Henry and Emma ran to Regina's side to catch her from falling entirely, coming from Robin Hood as he stood on the other end of the pier with his bow in hand. A smirk formed on his lips as he lowered it just as Regina turned her head to look at him.

"I told you, Regina. I never miss." Robin lowered his bow before looking toward Zelena who seemed all the happier at her fallen sister. Emma and Henry slowly lowered Regina down to the ground, tears already starting to form. There was no way that she was going to survive. Blood already began to form on her back, coating Emma's hands as Henry began to sob.

"No! Mom!" he sobbed against her as everyone began to circle around them as protection from Robin and Zelena. Regina's hand came up to touch Henry's face gently, her eyes on him.

"H-Henry...I love y..you.." she whispered with a smile before turning to grab hold of Emma's hand, squeezing it as much as she could.

"Save...our son.." were the last words to leave Regina's lips as the life in her body escaped her. Emma's tears poured over her cheeks as she held Regina in her arms as Henry cried over her lifelfess body. The sound of slow clapping echoed over the pier as Zelena clapped her hands a few times before rolling her eyes.

"What a beautiful moment. My sister dying to save the ones she loved. Betrayed by the man told to be her "one true love". How pathetic," she said as she moved back toward the portal.

"I'd offer my condolences by in a few minutes, none of you will even exist. Take comfort in that." Zelena waved half heartedly with a giggle as she stepped into the portal and disappeared.

"No!" Emma cried out as she let go of Regina's body to try and stop her, but it was too late. Zelena was gone. David turned with his sword unsheathed and pointed at Robin Hood.

"You were supposed to be on our side. We trusted you!" he growled as he advanced onto Robin.

"Well, who's fault is that? You trust so easily that you never look to see who it is that you're trusting. Your wife allowed Zelena to be her midwife just because she _said_ she was one! No matter. Zelena and I have a deal. She'll kill your precious queen and none of this will even exist in a few minutes. Then, I'll be reunited with my wife before Regina had the chance to kill her, and everything right will be restored in the world."

"Oh you'll be reunited with your wife, all right. Reunited in death," a voice came from the darkness just as a bolt of lightning shot out from the shadows into Robin's chest, knocking his body to the ground before he dissipated into ashes before everyone's eyes. Out of the shadows stepped Rumplestiltskin, moving slowly toward Emma before he reached out to grab her by the arm.

"Emma. You have to stop Zelena. You're the only one who can do it now," he said as he stepped before her. She shook her head, still trying to wrap her head around everything that was happening.

"No, I can't. I don't have my powers anymore. I can't do this, Gold. I don't even know how I'd stop her." Rumple's hand lifted to stop her from talking.

"You can do it, dearie. You're the Savior. Stop her from killing Regina, get your powers back, and set all of this back into motion or we won't have a future. Henry will have never been born." The mention of Henry caused Emma's jaw to lock as her eyes honed in on the man in front of her. Without another word, she turned and started toward the portal.

"Wait!" David and Snow called out to her, moving up to her before she left the portal. Snow wrapped her arms around Emma once more, hugging her daughter one last time.

"We love you so much and we are so proud of you," she whispered in Emma's ear before pulling back as David held up his sword.

"Take this with you. I think you'll need it," he said, attaching the belt and sword to her waist before they stepped back, watching as Emma moved to jump into the portal. As she pushed off to jump, she felt a hand grab her own.

"Emma, no!" Hook shouted, falling to the ground as he held her up, refusing to let go.

"I can't let you go! We can find another way!" he tightened his grip on her hand as she attempted to break free of his grasp.

"Hook, let go! I have to do this!" Emma met his gaze and she could tell that he knew. This was the only chance they all had, whether he liked it or not. A small curse word muttered from his lips and he shouted back as he pushed himself forward.

"Then I'm going with you!" he said as the two of them fell into the portal. Her eyes closed as she felt the feeling of the drop hit her in the pit of her stomach, mingling with the anxiety of the task at hand. This wasn't going to be an easy road. Hell, she didn't even know what she was going to have to do to restore the balance...but she would figure it out. She had no other options. She had a broken-hearted son and a town full of people relying on her to save them. In that moment, Emma realized that there was no escaping who she was. Running back to New York would not change her past, nor would it change her future. Regina didn't hesitate to step forward to protect the town and paid the price for her life. Her last words were spoken entirely out of love. Emma couldn't have felt the sting of her own selfishness as when she'd watched Regina take her last breath. There was no way that she could allow Regina and Neil both die in vain. The portal opened just as the two of them hit the ground in the middle of the forest. With a newfound determination overtaking the guilt in her heart, Emma knew what she had to do. She was going to grab hold of her destiny and complete her mission. Fear and uncertainty be damned. There was too much at stake to be afraid. She had a town to save.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Floating in a portal was unlike anything Emma had ever experienced, and it probably wasn't going to be anything she'd get used to. It felt as though she were spiraling out of control for a neverending amount of time. It wasn't until she saw a small bit of sunlight that she knew that she was landing in the next realm. In a matter of seconds, she hit the ground with a hard thud, causing her to tumble into the side of a tree. A moment later, she heard the second thud and small groan of pain as Hook landed along with her. Quickly, she pushed herself up off of the ground and turned her head to look around at their surroundings.

"Looks like we're in the Enchanted Forest," Hook said, brushing the dirt and grass off of him. Emma arched a brow at him.

"Any other astounding observations you'd like to share with the class?" she asked, clearly irritated at him being with her. His eyebrows furrowed as he turned toward her, hook pointed in her direction as he walked toward her.

"Swan, look.."

"No, Killian. You, look. I didn't ask you to come here so don't expect any gratitude out of me. I need to find Zelena, find a way to stop her and save Re-..Storybrooke."

"And just how do you plan on doing that, love? You have no magic and no idea where you are. You're going to need all the bloody help you can get." Hook was right. He knew he was right and Emma hated that look he had on his face whenever he knew that he was right. She hated it even in New York when she didn't remember him. Either way, it wasn't going to do her any good standing in the middle of the forest arguing with a one-handed pirate. It's not like he could go back to Storybrooke now.

"I know where I am. I just don't know _when_," Emma replied as she turned around to look for any sort of clues that would indicate what time frame they'd landed in. She knew that Zelena wanted to travel back in time to change Regina's birth, but whether or not she succeeded was yet to be determined.

"Swan. Look over here," Hook said as he made his way off of the trail to a nearby tree. Quickly, she hurried to follow behind him, slipping off of the trail to see what he had found. Through the small patch of forest they stood in, she could see a group of people working around what appeared to be a small village.

"I wonder if we can get closer to find out what's going on," she whispered to him, only to have a small chuckle as her reply.

"Not in those clothes, you can't," he joked, a grin forming on his lips as he nodded toward the line of clothes attached to the nearest house, drying dresses. Emma rolled her eyes slightly and looked over at him.

"How convenient."

"Oh come on, love. Don't be so judgemental," he laughed and snuck to the side of the house, carefully pulling one of the dresses off of the clothesline before offering it over to her.

"You can change your clothes behind those bushes over there. I'll keep watch."

"Don't you dare look, Hook, or I'll take your other hand." A look of mock offense formed on his face as he touched his hook to his chest.

"I'm a gentleman."

"You're a pirate."

"Fair enough. I won't look. I swear." Emma stood there for a few seconds, as though she didn't believe him. Dramatically, he threw his arms up in a sign of surrender.

"Swan! I'm not going to bloody look! Hurry up and change before you're seen! We have to be careful what we change right now. Time travel can cause grave consequences." His hand shooed her to get behind the bushes to change before he turned to watch the town and make sure she wasn't seen. Emma rustled through her change of clothes, pulling it on quickly.

"What the _hell_ am I wearing?!" she growled as she pulled on her corset. This was absurd! Tumbling out of the bushes a few minutes later, she was already trying to adjust the dress to make it more comfortable. This was terrible. Frustrated with her new garments, the blonde made her way out to where Hook stood with that stupid grin on his face. Just when he was starting to become charming, he reminds her why it would never work between them. His eyes roamed down over her exposed cleavage before lifting back up to her face.

"That outfit suits you," he said, which only made Emma roll her eyes.

"You _would_ think that. Come on. Let's go and figure out just when this portal dropped us off." She pushed past him and stepped through the small open pathway that led into the town. Her hands combed through her hair just a little as they walked into town. Could she have felt any more uncomfortable? It didn't seem possible.

"Let's start at the pub. If you're going to find out anything, you'll find it out there," Hook chimed in as he offered his arm out to Emma to escort her. Her eyes traveled down to his arm that he held out to her, arching an eyebrow at him as though he'd lost his mind. Okay, maybe it _was_ possible to feel more uncomfortable. Ignoring the offered arm, she pushed forward and started toward the nearby tavern where people were already starting to gather. The sound of voices grew as they reached the door, stepping inside to find many of the villagers quickly turning to look their way. Small villages like that near the Evil Queen's castle didn't trust random visitors. One of the men working in the tavern came around the bar quickly and stepped in front of Emma.

"We don't usually get unfamiliar faces around these parts. You two lost?" his gruff voice gave a hint that they weren't going any further in without some additional explanation. Hook began to speak, the testosterone building between the two men.

"We're not lost, mate. I'll tell you what we are. W-" Emma's hand popped up quickly to cover his lips and she laughed nervously.

"Don't listen to him. He hates admitting that we're lost. Typical man.." she laughed a bit more, trying to ease the situation, but the man before her remained stone cold. Clearing her throat, she continued.

"We were looking for...the way to the castle. Snow White and Prince...Charming…?" she looked to Hook who stared at her as if she had lost her mind. Her hand dropped from his lips and she turned her attention back to the man in front of them who seemed to almost immediately relax.

"Oh, you must be on your way to deliver your gift for their child. They say that Snow should be due any day now," he said, his guard lowered now that he knew they were not spies of the Queen with news of impending death and anguish. Emma looked at Hook with a look of satisfaction that her tactic worked so well.

"Yes, yes we are. Would you point us in the direction we would need to go? We would be so grateful," Emma replied, trying to be as sweet as she possibly could be. As she watched the man's eyes lower slowly onto her chest, she knew that she'd get anything she wanted out of him. Men were so easily influenced.

"South of here. Be careful not to head East. The Evil Queen's castle is that way and she does not take well to strangers on her land. Take heed, because she is as evil as they come." For some reason, the insult toward Regina didn't sit well with Emma and her eyebrows furrowed just a bit. They didn't know what Regina was capable of. She had so much good in her and nobody knew it. Right now, she was in another time dead because she had the courage and love that Emma didn't have. It wasn't fair for them to speak poorly of her. Without thinking, she stepped forward to confront the man.

"No, she's no-" it was Hook's turn to cover her mouth with his own hand before she said anything she would regret.

"We'll do just that, mate. Thanks," he interjected abruptly, pulling Emma from the doorway of the tavern back out to the village. He held tight to her arm as he pulled her quickly from earshot of the people around them, moving south onto the trail as fast as possible.

"Have you gone mad, Swan?! They don't know the Regina we know and would have tried to kill both of us!"

"I'm sorry! I just...Regina's dead because of me. She's dead because I didn't protect her, and to make it worse, she died thinking I was going to take our son away from her. And I was. I was going to take that happiness away from her out of my own selfishness and fear, and now she died before I had the chance to make it right. I guess when he started to insult her, I just reacted." Her eyes lifted to meet Hook's, which were filled with surprise and sympathy. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

"Swan, if I didn't know better, I'd say you fancy her," His words were filled with amusement as he teased her. Clearly, he didn't think that it were true, but he had to poke fun at her just a little in the hopes to lighten the mood. Emma pushed away from him and shook her head with a sardonic scoff.

"What? Don't be ridiculous. I just don't want Henry to be without his mother. She didn't deserve to die like that," she said, trying to push away any doubts that were filling her head from the moment he said it. What if she did have feelings for Regina? What if it wasn't sadness for Henry that she felt at Regina's death, but her own? Anger and frustration welled up inside of her at the confusion she felt bogging down her mind.

"That would make so much sense. You could never decide between me and Neal because you actually love Regina," he had to laugh at this hilarious epiphany of his, but Emma turned quickly and grabbed him by the jacket, nose to nose with him. Her anger formed so quickly that his smile immediately faded and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Whoa. Calm down, love. It was just a joke.."

"That's enough! Just because I don't want to sleep with you doesn't make me a lesbian!" she snapped at him and shoved him back away from her. Pushing off of him, she turned and started to storm away with Hook following behind her quickly.

"All right, Swan. You're right. You're right. I apologize. Terrible joke. Let's just focus on the task at hand," he said, trying to calm her down. "If Snow is due to have her baby any day, then that means we don't have much time before Regina enacts the curse." His point pulled Emma back into her mission, causing her to slow down and breathe. All of a sudden, the plan made sense.

"That's it! Zelena couldn't change the past to make Regina not exist, but she can kill Regina right after she casts the dark curse and take over in Regina's place. Then nobody will remember that Regina existed and Zelena will be in control." Emma turned to look at Hook as she grabbed his jacket once more, but this time just out of excitement. Hook winced just slightly before realizing that she wasn't angry.

"Killian, you're a genius! We just have to find Rumplestiltskin and see if he can help me get my magic back and help us re-open that portal. Then all we have to do is stop Zelena before she gets to Regina, get back to Storybrooke just in time to destroy Zelena and stop Robin from killing Regina and everything will be saved!" she slapped him on the shoulder and stepped back. Hook...didn't seem as enthused.

"Oh, is that all? Here I thought it was going to be hard.." he muttered sarcastically as Emma started walking once more. "Well, then we need to get going, don't we?"

"You know where he is?"

"Aye, love. He's in the dungeon at your parent's castle." Suddenly, she realized why Hook wasn't as happy about this game plan as she had been. Things were all of a sudden far more complicated than she had ever anticipated them. Now, she really had to do all of this work hidden in the shadows without changing any of the past to affect the future. Knowing the consequences that any mistake could make brought fear slowly into her heart. What if she didn't do it right? What if she couldn't succeed? How was she going to explain to Henry that she failed and that her failures resulted in Regina's death?

The look in Regina's eyes in her last moments as she held to Emma's hand remained imprinted in Emma's memories. The way her hand held hers so tight, as if she were putting all of her trust and faith in Emma. How many times had Regina done that with her lately? She wasn't just Henry's mother. She was her teacher, her ally. Her fears of failing Regina came directly from the relationship they'd created through Henry. If Regina were here, she knew exactly what she would say. They were the last words that she'd said to Emma before dying.

_Save our son._

Turning to look out at the castle in the distance, she let out a soft sigh. This mission was becoming far more difficult than she had anticipated, but she had to do it.. Regina and Henry were relying on her. Emma's hands balled into small fists as she mustered up all of the courage she had within her at the moment to take that step toward the path that led to the castle.

"Let's do this."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Emma stared out over the entrance that would lead down to the dark dungeon, where Rumpelstiltskin was held prisoner by her parents. In front of the gates stood three large guards, ready for any intruder to attempt entrance.

"How the hell are we going to get in? You know those can't be the only three guards that lead down to his cell. We could take those three, but how are we going to get all the way down there without bringing attention to the rest of the castle?" Emma brought her hand up to her forehead, rubbing the tension a bit as she tried to work through any options.

"Swan! Look!" Hook nudged her as he pointed to see that there was a black carriage coming to a stop in the woods behind them. The two of them lowered further to the ground as they watched it come to a stop.

"Is that..?"

"Aye. The Evil Queen herself.." Hook replied just as the door to the carriage opened up. In a quick motion, a flash of black stepped out of the carriage with an air of confidence that she could only equate with Regina. There was just something about the way she carried herself, as if she held the entire world in her hands. Emma couldn't help but to feel a little envious of that. When was the last time she truly felt in control of her own life? At least Regina was doing something about her circumstances, as misguided as those actions may be. Her gaze followed Regina slowly as she slowly made her way toward the guards at the gate. Even in her darkness, surrounded by an evil energy felt for miles, she was beautiful. The way that she moved with grace was something that Emma never really had going for her.

Regina's hands lifted and, with a flick of her wrists, the three men were surrounded in a purple fog before they disappeared entirely. Without any effort, the gate doors opened and Regina moved inside. She knew that Regina was powerful, but it really was just that easy for her. That was incredible. Flashbacks of all of their times that Regina tried to teach her how to hone her own magic formed in the base of her mind and she realized just how truly patient Regina had been with her. Magic was effortless for her and Emma was so far behind.

"Swan?" Hook nudged her shoulder to snap her out of her thoughts and back into reality. Blinking a few times, she turned her head to look over at him.

"Huh? What?"

"Really, Swan? Bloody hell, I'm starting to think you really _do_ fancy her," he said, rolling his eyes before pointing toward the castle. "The gate's open? You think you might want to go in while we still can? Or would you rather sit here and daydream through this whole bloody mission?" Emma shook her head and shot him an irritated look before focusing back on the open gate.

"That's enough. Let's go," she said as she started to stand up out of the bushes they had been hiding in. As Hook moved to stand up also, Emma placed her hand on his shoulder to push off of him, shoving him back down into the dirt.

"What the hell was that for?!" A smirk formed on Emma's lips as she looked over her shoulder at him, not bothering to answer him.

"Try and keep up," she replied before starting down the path to follow into the bottom of the castle that would lead them to Rumpelstiltskin's dungeon. A stifled chuckle escaped her lips as she heard him rustling around to get back up. If there was one thing she would say about Hook, he was a good partner-in-crime. It didn't go much further than that, and she never could understand why she had no real interest in him as a prospect, but he certainly was a good friend to have.

They moved quickly up to the open gate, trying to get inside before anyone noticed, slipping into the shadowy cave. Hook's boot rolled against a rock, which echoed against the walls leading into darkness. Emma snapped around toward him, her eyebrows furrowing as he held his hand and hook up in the air.

"Sorry," he whispered before flicking his hand forward as if to make her move forward. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head as she turned to keep walking deeper into the dungeon. Pressed against the wall, she moved as silently as she could when she started to see a flicker of light around the corner. Emma stopped right as she reached the edge of the curved cave wall, staying hidden in the shadows to avoid running into the Evil Queen. Her hand reached back to stop Hook from walking as she peeked out into the area and saw Rumpelstiltskin's cell. What she didn't see, however, was Regina. That couldn't be good. Attempting to stare around the area to find her without making her own presence known, she heard Rumpelstiltskin call out from his cell.

"It's just us, dearie. You can show yourself.." he called out, and for that brief moment, Emma was floored. How the hell did he know she was here? Clenching her jaw, she moved to step out into the light, when she saw a mouse on the ground, scurrying around an apple. Hook reached out to pull her back, holding her still as that mouse formed into a cloud of black smoke that rose slowly until it formed into the shape of a woman. Regina's form re-appeared in front of his cell and Emma's eyes widened. _Holy shit, that could've been bad_, she thought, thankful that Hook grabbed her and pulled her back just in time. In silence, she watched the conversation between the two.

"That curse you gave me...it's not working."

"Oh...so worried! So so so worried. Like Snow and her new husband!" Rumpel's voice held a sing-songy amused tone as he moved closer toward the pointed bars of his cell. Regina, on the other hand, did not seem as playful.

"What?"

"They paid me a visit as well! They were very anxious. About you...and the curse," he said as he gripped the cell bars and peeked his head between them. Regina swiftly stormed up to him, moving within inches of his face.

"What'd you tell them?" she whispered, her tone dangerously low.

"The truth! That nothing can stop the darkness!" His words brought a smirk to Regina's lips, but he wasn't done, and she wasn't about to like what else he had to say. A smile formed on his lips as he continued.

"...except, of course, their unborn child. See, no matter how powerful, all curses can be broken! The child is the key. Of course, the curse has to be enacted first," he pulled back from the cell bars, prompting Regina to move closer toward him.

"Tell me what I did wrong."

"For that...there's a price."

"What do you want?"

"Simple. In this new land, I want comfort. I want a good life."

"Fine! You'll have an estate. You'll be rich."

"I wasn't finished! There's more!"

"There always is with you." Rumpel laughed and leaned close against the bars once more.

"In this new land, should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request!" He pointed at her through the bars. "You must do whatever I say, so long as I say….please!"

"You do realize that, should I succeed, you won't remember any of this."

"Oh! Well, then. What's the harm?" Regina smiled at him, pride forming in her eyes as if she believed that she'd won in this banter between two powers.

"Deal. What must I do to enact this curse?" Rumpel stepped back with his crazy smile in full view as he pointed in her direction.

"You need to sacrifice a heart."

"I sacrificed my prized steed." Before Regina had the opportunity to react, Rumpel jumped forward and gripped her by the throat, forcing her to her knees before him. Emma's immediate reaction was to jump from the shadows to fight him off of her, but Hook forced her to stay still, whispering in her ear.

"Don't. Change. A. Thing. If you interrupt this, you will suffer massive repercussions. Not to mention, we'll disappear like those guards outside if we piss her off." She knew that he was right, simply gripping the wall to keep from running over there to help her. Even as she sucked in breath with Rumpelstiltskin's hand around her throat, choking her, she couldn't stop what was happening.

"A _horse_?! This is the curse to end all curses; you think a _horse_ is gonna do?! Great power requires great sacrifice. The heart you need must come from something far more _precious_," he said as his grip loosened ever so slightly. Only enough for her to respond.

"Tell me what will suffice."

"The heart of the thing you love most," he whispered, and she immediately shoved his hand away from her throat.

"What I loved most died because of _Snow White_," she snapped back at him, speaking of Snow White as though she were a terrible plague. Rumpel felt no sadness for her, only mocking her pain in a fake sympathetic expression as he stroked her cheek.

"Is there no one else you truly love?" his expression faded away as he held on to the bars that held him captive. "This curse isn't gonna be easy. Vengeance never is, dearie. You have to ask yourself a simple question. How far are you willing to go?" she leaned in fearlessly, her hands balled into fists by her side.

"As far as it takes."

"Then, _please_, stop wasting everyone's time and just do it. You know what you love. Now go kill it," he whispered to her, eyes locked on her face until she finally pulled away. Black cloak swiped around her form as she turned to leave the dungeon. Hook and Emma quickly stepped back into the shadows against the wall, remaining as still as they possibly could as Regina stormed past them without any indication that she knew they were there. They turned their heads and watched her walk away, waiting to move until the footsteps turned to silence and they seemed to be alone.

"Oh goody. I don't usually have so many visitors! You'll have to excuse the mess. Good help is so hard to find," Rumpel said with a little giggle escaping his lips as a hand stretched out from the bars, hand motioning for them to come closer. Emma inched forward, stepping into the lit area of the dungeon to reveal herself to the caged man with Hook right behind her. When Emma's gaze met his own, she found herself at a loss for words. What the hell was she going to say to him to convince him to help them?

"Come closer, dearie. Don't let the appearance frighten you." With a deep breath, Emma moved within reach.

"Okay, I'll get right to the point. We're here about the Evil Queen."

"Is that so? Let me guess. You're here to defeat the Evil Queen and stop the dark curse," he tapped his fingers against the bar. "Go on, dearie. Tell me I'm right."

"Actually, we're here to...to help her. I'm afraid she's in danger. This is going to sound crazy, but we're from the future. Regina succeeds with the dark curse and everyone is sent into a different land. Storybrooke. Then Zelena showed up and opened a time portal to go back in time to kill Regina." Once Emma started talking, everything just poured out of her, whether it made sense or not.

"Zelena? It's not possible. Nobody has that sort of magic. No one has ever been able to time travel. Stop wasting my time," he waved his hand at them and pushed away from the bars to step back into the shadows.

"Wait! Rumpelstiltskin. She's right," Hook chimed in as he stepped forward to grab hold of the bars. Quickly, Rumpel lunged forward to grab Hook by the throat.

"_You! _How dare you show your face here! I'll kill you!" he snarled as he tightened his grip. Unlike his hold on Regina, Rumpelstiltskin had no plan to release him. Emma ran up to the cell and grabbed hold of Rumpelstiltskin's hand.

"Stop! He's here to help you! We know your son!" She had no choice but to use Neal to calm him down and reason with him. Immediately, his hold on Hook released and he looked toward Emma, wild eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

"Bae?" his eyes narrowed toward Emma as he pointed firmly at her.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Emma. I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming." His eyes widened and he couldn't help but to find himself intrigued with the woman before him.

"The product of true love. And you say you know where my boy is?" he asked, and Emma certainly couldn't bring herself to tell him that he was dead. She also couldn't risk changing the future by telling him the outcome of his son's death, though she was certain he'd help them defeat Zelena if he knew that she was the reason for his death.

"Yes."

"Well, on with it! Where is he?! When can I see him?!"

"You'll see him again in the future. After Regina casts the curse, you'll be reunited with him. We have to make sure this curse is completed and that Zelena is stopped. Please. I need your help to get my magic back. She took it from me and light magic is the only way she can be stopped." Rumpel turned toward Emma and pointed to the cell.

"Can't help you there, dearie. I'm powerless in here. Besides, I only deal in dark magic."

"What? I refuse to believe that. You, Rumpelstiltskin, the most powerful being in this realm and you can't help us?"

"While I appreciate the flattery, I'm afraid that I cannot help you. You must seek light magic elsewhere."

"What about re-opening the portal to get home? Can you help with that?" Hook asked, looking over at Emma who turned toward him angrily.

"What? Don't look at me like that, Swan. We're definitely no good here if we can't get home," he shrugged just a little and looked back at Rumpelstiltskin.

"In my home, there is a wand. A wand that can recreate spells and curses already made. Find it and you might have a chance to re-open your time portal. But be warned! If light magic is the only thing to defeat Zelena, then only light magic will undo her spells. Better hurry! Time's wasting. Tick tock, tick tock," Rumpel giggled and pointed over at Hook before stepping back into the shadows.

"Good luck, dearie. You'll need it." Emma stared at his shadowy figure for one more moment before turning to start down the path. Rumpelstiltskin leapt forward and called out to her.

"Wait!" Emma stopped, turning back toward him.

"In the future. Does he forgive me?" he asked, revealing the slightest bit of humanity that many did not get to see. Emma's eyes soften just a little and she nodded.

"Yes, he does." She didn't wait for a response. He didn't need to know any more. Turning, she looked to Hook and started down the path that led out of the dungeon.

"This is great, Swan. How are we going to defeat her if you don't have light magic? There isn't anyone else that we can find in this short amount of time."

"Yes there is."

"Who?"

"Regina." Hook grabbed hold of Emma's arm to stop her.

"Have you lost your mind? Emma, she is _not_ the Regina you know. Here, she is the Evil Queen, and there isn't an ounce of light in her!" He couldn't believe that Emma was being so ridiculous. There was absolutely no way that this was going to work.

"Hook, it's our only chance. If she was able to chance in Storybrooke, she can change here. It's the only way. We don't have a lot of time. You just said it yourself. There isn't anyone else we can find in time. We have to try this. As my parents always tell me, we have to have hope. I have to do this. You need to find that wand. If I've succeeded, I'll be at Regina's castle. You can look for me there," she didn't wait for him to argue more. Instead, she turned and continued walking down the path that would lead out to the dungeon.

"Emma, wait…" he said, sighing softly as she kept walking without him. For a few seconds, he paced in place. This was insane. This was a suicide mission. Grumbling under his breath, he turned and started to chase after her.

The sunlight grew as she reached the end of the dungeon, stepping outside of the gate before Hook had the chance to catch up to her. As soon as she was out of the gates, two words from a familiar voice caught her off guard.

"Seize her," Regina spoke calmly to her guards who quickly grabbed Emma by either arm. Gloved hands held Emma in place as Regina stepped in front of her, cold eyes staring at the blonde before her.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice you eavesdropping on my conversation?" Regina laughed softly, amused at the stupidity of the woman before her.

"Regina, I.."

"Excuse me? That's a bit informal, don't you think? It's _Your Majesty_. You're already proving to be a disappointment, so I don't expect much out of you, but I would at least think your parents taught you respect." To see Regina staring right through her, Emma felt the same way she did when she first came to Storybrooke.

"I...apologize, Your Majesty. I was coming to help you. I have information that will help you with the dark curse. You're in danger and I'm here to..rescue you.." as each word left Emma's mouth, she realized just how ridiculous she sounded. Regina's laughter only confirmed it.

"_You_ are going to rescue _me_? Well, isn't that hilarious?" Regina's smile faded as she lowered her gaze slowly over the rest of Emma's form before shifting back to her guards.

"Guards, take her away. Maybe she'll be more likely to talk after some time in the dungeon. I have more important tasks to tend to." With a flip of her cloak, she turned to walk back to her carriage as the guards dragged Emma away from the dungeon. Emma quickly turned her head to see Hook stepping out of the shadows. All she could hope was that he would do as she said and find that wand.

Hopefully, by that time, she will have convinced Regina of the good that is within her. This was the only way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

"Guys, this really isn't necessary. I'm not going to fight you! Seriously! Just don't grab so hard!" Emma pulled at the grip of the soldiers holding on to her as they led her into the queen's castle. They said nothing as they started to drag her toward the castle with no sight of Regina anywhere. Shit! This was not the way she'd intended for this to happen. Blame it on the naive hope that Regina would have recognized her, but she thought she'd at least get the opportunity to explain herself! Wouldn't she want to know if her life is in danger? The guards stopped just as they reached the gate that led to the dungeon.

"Okay, okay. Look. This is all just one huge misunderstanding. I just need to speak to your queen. That's it. I didn't do anything wrong!" she growled just a little as she heard a familiar voice from behind her.

"Release her." It was amazing how two simple words from Regina's lips would change her entire predicament. Their tight hold ceased as she turned around to see Regina standing before her, cold eyes locked on her face as she started to walk toward her. Emma couldn't hide her relief at the thought that Regina had come to rescue her from imprisonment. A smile formed over her lips. Why was she so excited to see Regina? Was there that inherent hope that Regina would come to her rescue? She didn't quite realize just how dependant she'd been on Regina's assistance...until now.

"Thank God you're here. I really need to talk to you." Emma started to walk toward Regina, as though they were allies once again. Without hesitation, her hand came up to Emma's neck and grabbed hold, nails digging in to her skin as she tightened her grip. The pressure on Emma's throat forced her back a few steps until she pressed against the cold, stone wall of the castle. Apparently, Emma was gravely mistaken. The hope of convincing Regina that she had a shred of good in her began to diminish as she stared back into dark eyes that held what most would call evil. It would be so easy to think of her simply as evil, but there was so much more to her than that. Behind those eyes held a lot of pain and anger that Emma didn't want to confront. If she didn't have to in order to save everyone, Emma might have been inclined to run in the other direction...but what good did running away ever bring her? This was her destiny, whether she liked it or not. Terrified as she was, she simply had to muster up what little courage she had to take on the Evil Queen who currently had one hell of a grip.

"What did I tell you addressing me so informally? Are you hard of hearing or just plain stupid? Because I think defying me classifies you for the latter.," she growled angrily as she leaned in to meet Emma's gaze. Surprised at the sudden change of events, Emma remained frozen as she observed, not only the darkness, but the immense power that surrounded Regina. If only she'd known how powerful Regina truly was in Storybrooke, she would see that Regina was that of a tamed lion. Dangerous and definitely not one to be provoked, but good. Right now, she had her claws out and it was apparent why so many were afraid of her.

"Well? What is it, girl? Are you deaf or stupid? Answer your queen!" Emma was quick to respond the second time around.

"Stupid, but I've been told that's one of my redeeming qualities, along with my stubbornness," Emma said, struggling to speak with the limited air Regina was allowing. A smirk formed on Regina's lips as she let go of her throat and dropped her hand down by her side.

"Tell me your name."

"Emma."

"Emma. And just why are you so insistent on speaking with me? Usually, people run in fear, as they should. Yet you're claiming to be my rescuer. Last I recall, white knights didn't come in the shape of peasant barmaids," Regina laughed at the ridiculous notion that Emma had spouted off earlier, and yet here she stood still entertaining the idea of keeping her alive. She wouldn't have hesitated to end her life but there was something that intrigued her about the blonde woman before her. Though she couldn't quite determine what it was, Regina wasn't about to let the opportunity pass by to investigate.

"I told you. I'm here to help you. Ze-.." Emma paused. Would Regina even believe this story? Did she even know Zelena's name? Even if she did, would it change Regina's belief that she actually needed someone else's help to defeat her? There was no way that Emma was going to get by telling the entire truth to Regina. She'd never listen.

"Good God. I haven't got all day to wait for you! Spit it out!" The Queen's exasperated voice was filled with irritation, her patience becoming thinner by the moment.

"I'm sorry. I'm here to help you. I...know of Snow White's plans. To defeat you." Emma's words caused Regina's eyebrow to arch in interest. _Keep going, Emma! Hook, line and sinker! _Even still, there was a hint of doubt in Regina's eyes. Based on what she'd learned in the Forbidden Forest, Emma couldn't imagine that many people could read The Evil Queen. They saw only someone to fear. Emma, on the other hand, knew only Regina and what good she was capable of.

"You know of Snow White's plan? And why should I trust that you're not lying to me?" Regina moved closer to Emma until they were only inches apart. Emma's eyebrows raised a little in surprise at how close she'd gotten. It seemed that The Evil Queen never had personal space issues. Emma's eyes slowly lowered to the dark red lips curved upward in an arrogant smirk that were so close to her own.

"She hurt me too. I want to see that she pays for what she's done. It's because of her that I was abandoned, kind of like how you were with Daniel," she whispered softly, thinking that her story was solid. Not entirely a lie, but enough twisting of the truth to make it believable. Instead of being met with the eyes of a friend, she saw only rage forming in the dark eyes before her as Regina stepped back from her.

"How do you know anything about Daniel? Nobody knows about Daniel, except for Snow and my mother! Why are you here?!" she growled as her right hand came up, unclenching from the fist she held down by her side to form a ball of fire only a few feet from Emma. _Oh God, think fast, Emma. Think fast! Now is the time to lie your corset off!_

"I...overheard Snow! I used to work for their castle and I overheard her one time telling Charming that it was her fault she killed the man you loved. That's why you have wanted to seek revenge on her! Right before they were making plans to protect their baby from your curse. She took me away from my family the same way she took your loved ones from you, so I came straight here to help you!" Emma's heart raced in her chest, but she stood still, not needing to be held by the guards to suffer the Queen's wrath. Instead, she closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting for the potential blow...but it never came.

One eye dared to open slowly to find Regina standing there with the flame dissipating slowly. The pain and sadness in her eyes felt like a hard blow to her gut, her own heart sinking in one expression. She never realized how alone Regina truly was. The woman lost the man she loved because of her own mother and a beloved little girl who was looked at as a hero. How could she trust anybody? Furthermore, how could she let her guard down at all and risk showing the world how vulnerable she truly was? Emma had to fight the urge to reach out and comfort her, even though every inch of her ached to do so. Regina's eyes stared through her as though she weren't even there, lost in the painful thoughts and emotions that Emma had trudged up.

"Reg-.." Emma started, but Regina's emotionless voice overpowered her own.

"I'll deal with you later. Take her away," she said before turning quickly to walk in the opposite direction. Emma didn't dare argue and, instead, went willingly with the two guards who led her to her cell.

* * *

The sound of the cell door shutting echoed through the dungeon as Emma took a seat on the bale of hay set up in the corner. A loud sigh escaped her lips as the guard pounded his fist against the metal once before turning around to walk away.

"Great, Emma. How the hell are you going to get out of this one?" she muttered to herself as a hand ran through her hair. Hook was right. This was not going to be as easy as she might have hoped.

"Are you talking to me?" a voice in the cell beside her called out, catching Emma's attention. Her green eyes lifted to see a woman in the cell beside her walking over to where their cells touched.

"Uhh, no. I was talking to myself, but I'm not crazy, I swear. They say you're not crazy for talking to yourself. Only if you answer back," she joked, but the woman hardly smiled. Could she blame her? It's not like these cells were exactly accommodating. Emma stood up from her seat and walked over to the cell to meet the woman.

"I'm Emma."

"Marian." Emma's eyes widened just a little in surprise. She hadn't known Robin very well, but she knew the story growing up and, therefore, knew who she was to him. What she hadn't known was that it was Regina who killed her.

"You're Robin's wife," she whispered without thinking. Marian reached out to the bars with great excitement.

"You know my husband? Is he coming for me?" she asked, hopeful that Emma would have a message for her. Sadly, Emma hadn't the slightest clue where he was or what he was planning. She didn't even know if he knew where his wife was.

"I...I don't know. I haven't seen him lately. I just have met him a few times in passing and he's mentioned you," Emma replied, trying to brush it off as quickly as she could. The look of disappointment washed over Marian's expression as she looked down.

"Oh, I see. Well, I doubt it matters much anyway," she said softly, letting go of the bars to step back into the middle of her cell. Emma leaned against the bars comfortably and looked back to the cell that surrounded her.

"What'd you do to get yourself locked up?"

"I'm accused of stealing some of the Queen's prized horses. I didn't, but they won't go merely on my word."

"I hear ya. I've been caught stealing in my day. How long you in for?" Emma folded her arms across her chest, turning her head just in time to catch the confused look on Marian's face. Was it something she'd said? Her eyebrows furrowed as Marian laughed coldly.

"You obviously don't know the Evil Queen very well. We'll be dead by morning. She's a heartless monster," she retorted, causing Emma to spin around quickly in her direction.

"She's not a heartless monster! She's capable of more than that!"

"I disagree entirely. The Queen is evil and always will be."

"She wasn't always evil and she has good in her! Someone just has to give her the chance!"

"The way she's given me a chance? No! She locked me up without so much as a thought to who I was leaving behind, or if I was even guilty!"

"You have to look past that. She just doesn't kno-" Marian spun around and rushed up to the bars so quickly that it stopped Emma from completing her sentence.

"Why are you defending the woman who sentenced you to death?! She certainly has no concern for your well being and is beyond repair! If you don't believe it now, you will tomorrow morning as she kills us both with pleasure!" Emma's rage peaked as she reached through the bars and gripped the material of Marian's top, pulling her close to meet her eye to eye. The physical assault was enough to hush Marian as her dark eyes lifted to Emma's in surprise.

"We are not going to die tomorrow, Marian. You have to listen to me, and you have to believe me. I'm not from here. I'm from the future. Reg-..._the Queen_...enacts a curse that sends everyone to another land. I'm from that land. In that land, your husband kills her."

"Good. She deserves it," Marian grumbled, but Emma's grip on her top tightened as she shook her out of anger.

"She didn't deserve it! She had a child! Our child!"

"You and I have a child?"

"No! Regina and I have a child!"

"...How?" Emma let go of her shirt and let out a loud exasperated sigh as she took a step back.

"It's complicated. If I don't get out of here, then you're right. We're dead, but it's not just us. A lot more people are going to die. Your husband's one of them."

"Robin? No! What about Roland? Who will look after him?!"

"Now you're talking my language, lady. So here's the deal. You're gonna help me get out of here. In turn, I'm gonna save your ass and nobody has to die. Are you in?" Marian stared at Emma through the bars for a few moments in silence. What choice did she have? Her hand reached up into her hair, retrieving one of the pins that held it up into the messy bun she wore currently. Holding it out for Emma to see, she smirked.

"How are you at picking locks? I never could do it, or I wouldn't still be in here." Emma's eyes widened at the sight of the pin.

"Marian, this is perfect!" She reached out to take the pin as Marian's other hand snatched hold of her wrist.

"I need your word that you're going to save us, Emma. It's not much, but it's all I can ask of you. It's all the hope I have to rely on." Emma smiled as her gaze softened on Marian's face.

"You have my word, Marian. I'm not going to fail. None of us can afford for me to." Marian released the pin into Emma's hand as she quickly rushed over to the lock on her door. Pin pushed into the key's entry, she wiggled the tip of the pin around to find the latch that would release the lock from the bars. A few seconds went by with nothing working on that lock.

"Damn it! C'mon. Talk to me, Neal.." she whispered to herself, struggling with the lock. Flashbacks of Neal teaching her to pick her first lock played in her mind. She could still see his smile as if it were right in front of her. He always said to her..._Patience is the key, Emma. You just have to find the sweet spot._ Emma closed her eyes as she turned the pin slowly to the right, feeling the small latch push back with the sound of a click. Opening her eyes quickly, the lock fell open, leaving her door unlocked.

"Yes!" Stepping out of the cell, she turned toward Marian who watched her intently. Why couldn't she have just let her go right then and there? Marian could have escaped and been with Robin. Problem solved. Emma couldn't risk changing the future that much. She didn't know what sort of repercussions she'd face changing Robin's entire life. She had to stick to the plan.

"I'll come back for you, Marian. I promise. Don't worry. You'll see your husband and child soon," Emma said before she moved out of the cell and into the shadows. She hadn't thought about what she was going to do once she got out of the cell. Remaining close to the wall, she moved up the stairs slowly, listening for the sound of echoing footsteps. Moving silently up to the top, she slowed down when seeing a guard standing at the top of the stairs in front of the door. His back to her, Emma knew that she'd have to act fast to get out of there unnoticed.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered to herself as she moved up the steps to stand behind the man. Without hesitation, she reached out to grab hold of the handle of his sword and, with a firm tug, pulled the sword from its holster. She threw her weight into the pull, causing the guard to slip and fall, tumbling down the stairs with a loud thud that echoed against the stone walls. His fall quieted as he rolled down the steps, further from the door. Emma was a few moments, hearing no additional movements as he landed at the bottom before moving on. Gripping the sword, she moved into the main hallway that led to multiple rooms.

_Great! Now how am I going to find her in this huge castle?!_ Emma thought, letting out a silent, but frustrated sigh.

"Guards! Where is my father?!" she heard a voice on the nearby staircase and immediately stepped behind one of the statues to hide.

"He should be back from his walk anytime, Your Majesty."

"Good. When he arrives, tell him to meet me in my room."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The sound of boots thudded against the steps as the two soldiers hurried away from the stairs and started down the hall, moving past the statue that Emma hid so carefully behind. She held her breath and stayed low, praying that they'd move past her without noticing that she'd escaped. As she crouched down, her foot rolled slightly into the statue, making a soft _thump_ against the stone. One of the soldiers slowed to a stop near the statue, causing her heart to race in her chest.

"Did you hear that?" Emma closed her eyes for a moment and held tight to the handle of the sword, preparing herself to fight.

"No, I didn't. Come! We must find Prince Henry quickly. There is no time to waste!" The two soldiers rushed away, leaving Emma alone once more. A sense of relief rushed through her as Emma slowly stood from her space. Slipping out from behind the statue, she turned toward the stairs only to find Regina standing at the bottom of the stairs with her eyes locked intently on Emma.

"Hello again. Was your cell not accommodating enough?" Regina's words dripped with sarcasm as she started toward Emma with a angry snarl forming over her lips. Before Emma could respond, a third voice chimed into the conversation as a flash of green flickered out of the corner of Emma's eye.

"Well, Regina. You should already be used to things not being good enough. Not like you ever have been," Zelena said as green smoke surrounded her. Regina turned toward her as any hint of amusement faded from her expression.

"_You_." Regina couldn't hide the disdain for the woman she'd met only a few times, but they'd never been pleasant.

"Oh, don't worry, darling. I won't be here long. Then again, neither will you," she said as she shot her hand forward, green electricity shooting from her fingertips in Regina's direction.

"No!" Emma shouted as she jumped in front of Regina, throwing the sword toward Zelena at the same time. Having pushed Regina out of the way, the bolt hit her in the chest and knocked her back against the wall. All of Emma's strength felt zapped as she fell to the floor. Regina stared over at Emma, confused as to why Emma would take the hit for her, only to turn her attention toward Zelena once more. Though Zelena turned to avoid getting hit with the sword, the edge snagged on her necklace, pulling it off of her as the green gem fell to the floor with a thud. A loud gasp escaped Zelena's lips as she picked up the necklace and quickly pulled it on over her neck.

"This isn't over, _sister_. You won't survive by the time I'm through with you," she growled before her broom appeared in her hand. Sliding onto the broom, she pushed off as she broke through the stained glass window and flew away. The sound of the shattering glass mingling with the heavy breeze coming into the hallway resonated off of the walls as Regina turned toward Emma.

"Why did you save me?" she asked, but before Emma could respond, her eyes close and she succumbed to her own unconsciousness.

* * *

(Sorry for the delay in the chapter. Work got hectic and I was celebrating my anniversary, but I should be back on a regularly posting schedule now. Hope you enjoy it! Feedback is greatly welcomed!)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Ughhh.." Emma groaned softly as the darkness began to subside. A hand slowly moved up to touch her head, but her hand only moved up a few inches before the restraints around her wrist stopped her from moving. Her eyes opened with a quickness to find that she'd been shackled, but she wasn't in her cell. No, quite the contrary. She was in a large bedroom furnished with the finest decor meant only for royalty. Where was she? Confusion set in as she started to look around at her surroundings.

"I had to make sure you didn't sneak off again. Anyone who can escape my cell once certainly would be able to do it again," Regina said, standing over by the door. Her arms remained folded across her chest, as Emma had seen so many times before. Seeing her alone, leaned against the door made Emma miss the old Regina. Maybe, if she would've taken more consideration of _that_ Regina, none of this would've happened. If she fought harder, been more loyal, anything! Yet, here she was, staring into the eyes of a distrusting Regina who held no warmth or familiarity toward her. She wanted nothing more than to simply hear Regina call her Miss Swan once more. All she wanted was her old life back without this insanity.

"You have all the power in the world and you felt the need to put me in shackles. What does that say about me?" Emma joked, tugging at the shackles a few more times. A sigh escaped her lips, meeting Regina's stare once more. "Come on, really? I saved your life and you still think I'm out to get you? I just want to help you!" Regina moved from the door, heels clicking against the stone beneath her as she walked over to where Emma remained helpless.

"I could've defeated her on my own, thank you very much, so don't expect any sort of gratitude from me that you stepped into harms way. It's not _my_ fault that you were dropped on your head as a child. What were you thinking, anyway? She could have killed you," Regina stared down at her, as though trying to assess just how much of a threat Emma was.

"I was _not_ dropped on my head as a child! And I do _not_ want your gratitude! I just want you to trust me! I'm here to help you!"

"Well, you're more likely to get my gratitude than my trust, and right now, you're nowhere near either of them," Regina laughed before she slowly leaned down to be eye level with Emma. Her smile faded and there was that icy glare once more.

"Why did you jump in front of me?" she asked, the tone in her voice all the warning that Emma needed. If only Regina had the same ability that Emma did, maybe Emma would be able to tell her the truth. She wanted to just blurt out that she was from the future, they had a son together and she was here to save Regina from being killed, but there was no way in hell she was going to get Regina to buy that story.

"It...was just a reflex. I told you. I'm here to help."

"Yes, I've gathered that much. What you haven't told me is why. And don't tell me it's to get back at Snow White, because I'm not a fool. I know better than to think you'd risk your life multiple times just to get back at Snow White because you're sympathetic to what you _think_ you know about my life," she stood up and hovered over Emma. Then, with a simple flick of her wrist, small clouds of purple formed over Emma's hands as the shackles disappeared entirely. Emma lifted her hands up quickly, rubbing over her wrists where the shackles clamped against her skin as she sat up. Okay, so her original story wasn't panning out. She was going to have to come clean without being entirely honest. Ugh. Being a liar wasn't working well for her. How did Regina and Rumple do it so well?

"I'm here...to stop Zelena. She's putting a lot of people I care about in danger and I knew she was coming for you. I thought if I teamed up with you to stop her that we could both benefit. She wouldn't kill you and I could keep my family safe." Regina's laughter interrupted her explanation.

"You think she can kill me? I'd be offended if that wasn't so ridiculous. Do you know who I am?" Emma didn't seem nearly as amused.

"I know you're powerful in dark magic, which isn't going to help you defeat her. She's stronger than you." Emma's response caused Regina's laughter to stop, anger flashing in those dark eyes that, even from across the room, struck fear into the hearts of many. Even Emma felt her stomach sink lower in her abdomen as she held Regina's gaze.

"_No one_ is stronger than me. Even if she were, she won't remember who she is once my curse is complete."

"Her plan is to kill you once you've started the curse. Then she can take your place and nobody will ever remember you existed." A moment of silence between them grew as Regina stood there, staring Emma down while trying to determine just how truthful Emma was.

"It's not possible."

"It is, and if we don't work together, she'll succeed, Regina."

"_Your Majesty. _How many times have we been through this already?!" At this point, Emma was not backing down.

"I'm not going to keep calling you that while we try to figure all of this out. So unless you have a nickname you prefer or something that _doesn't_ consist of me bowing at your feet, then I'm sticking with Regina."

"Then I'll just kill you or make you spend the rest of your days thinking you're a mule after the curse is completed. Your choice."

"Or I just not help you find a way to kill Zelena and she can turn me into a mule instead. Is that what you want?" Emma snapped back, standing up as if to defend herself. Regina's hand came up, threatening to form one of her notorious fireballs. Emma didn't back down from it. She couldn't back down. There wasn't any time for that.

"Look. We want the same thing here. We want to defeat Zelena and continue on with our own plans. You with your revenge and me with my family. Can't we just do that and go our separate ways? I won't even tell anyone that you went soft and let me off the hook. It'll be our secret."

"That I, _what_?" Regina was liking this plan less and less, her eyebrows furrowing in an irritated expression. Emma, however, held a small, playful smirk in response to Regina's surprise.

"Kidding. It's just a joke."

"You're not funny." Emma's smile faded quickly.

"I am so! Maybe you just don't have a sense of hu-" she was quick to defend herself, but stopped, knowing that this was wasting time. "Okay, seriously. We have to work together on this because the only thing that will stop Zelena is light magic. Dark magic has no affect on her." Regina scoffed.

"Light magic? This is absurd. I am not going to keep playing this game with you. Come with me," Regina retorted as she took hold of Emma's wrist. Before Emma could react, they were surrounded by a puff of purple smoke forming from the ground and rising to cover them entirely. For a few moments, she saw only darkness, the only light showing hues of dark purple. In a flash, the smoke disappeared, leaving her in an entirely new environment.

They were no longer in the lavishly decorated bedroom. Instead, she was surrounded by cave walls, lit only by a few torches that hung above them. They were in a dungeon. Not any dungeon. Based on the cage before her, Emma knew exactly where they were. They had come to visit Rumplestiltskin. His small figure moved from the darkness of the shadows up against the edge of the cage with scaly fingers wrapping slowly around the bars. He gripped the bars as if he had all the time in the world. As if he were almost mocking them.

"Hello again, dearie. I take it by the fact that we're all still here that your plan is yet again failing," he said in that sing-songy tone. Regina stepped forward with her cloak swishing back against Emma's legs, not hesitating to walk up to the cage as she'd done before.

"There's a small...annoyance that I need to handle first," she growled, eyes shifting to Emma from behind her before looking back at Rumple. He, in turn, looked over Regina's shoulder and let a little giggle escape his lips.

"You got further than I thought you would. Perhaps you've been underestimated," he spoke toward Emma, which caused Regina to take a step back in surprise.

"You _knew_ about her?"

"Of course, dearie. I also know that you have bigger concerns to deal with. Such as, oh, a green-faced witch who wants you dead, perhaps?" His eyes were filled with excitement over the drama unfolding before him.

"Wants me dead, maybe. I doubt she'll succeed. Many try and want me dead, and yet, here I am." There was a smirk of arrogance curling on Regina's dark-painted lips. Rumple pushed against the bars and poked his head out a little.

"Ah ah ah. Not so fast. Don't be so quick to underestimate her. Her dark magic is more powerful than yours. Only light magic will destroy her." A wide smile formed on his face as he looked over at Emma. Regina began to pace, and Emma knew that whenever Regina paced, she was genuinely starting to worry.

"Light magic? Where the hell am I going to find _that_?" Emma took this opportunity to step in and join the conversation.

"It's inside of you, you know." When Regina snapped her eyes up to look over at Emma, she continued. "It stems from love.." Regina scoffed.

"Oh, don't patronize me. You already know that my love has been taken from me."

"There are second chances for everybody," Emma said softly, causing Regina to look away. The moment with Tinkerbell had happened too soon. The man with the lion tattoo had been her second chance and she ran away from it. From him. To this day, Regina couldn't figure out what made her run away from what she'd been told was her destiny. Now, she was seeing the repercussions of her actions.

"I gave up my second chance. I can't be the one to do it," she whispered with her gaze lowering to the ground. Emma wanted so desperately to argue it. She saw it! She knew that Regina could do it because it'd already happened once before! There was only one problem with that approach. By doing that, she'd have to tell Regina who she really was and risk whatever consequences changing the future would be. Running a hand through her hair, Emma spoke up and prayed that she wouldn't regret her words later.

"That's not true. I know you can do it, because I've seen you do it." Regina's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as her head lifted up to look at Emma.

"I'm in no mood for games. Explain yourself," she said in a low, dangerous tone. Emma remained wide-eyed and hopeful that this idea would work.

"This is going to sound crazy, but it's the truth. I'm not from the Enchanted Forest. I'm from...another land in the future. The dark curse works and you send everyone to a place called Storybrooke. That's where I'm from." Regina laughed and started toward her, but a hand reached out and snatched her arm to stop her.

"I'd listen to her, dearie. She's telling the truth," he hissed, grinning when their eyes met. With a harsh yank, Regina pulled her arm away from his grasp and looked back at Emma.

"Then why are you _really _here?"

"Seriously? We're going through this again? I've already told you. Zelena has put my family in danger and I have to stop her. She opened a time portal and came back to take your place in the dark curse. It'll re-write everything and she need to be stopped."

"You said you've seen me do light magic. How?"

"You were able to use light magic because of your love for your son. Well..._our_ son. We have son." Both Rumplestiltskin and Regina looked over at Emma in surprise.

"Well, I didn't expect _that_. Regina, you didn't tell me that Daniel was a _Danielle_." Rumple giggled.

"Oh come on! Not like that!" Emma looked over at Regina who was still staring in her direction, eyebrows raised. She held a look on her face expressing that she was not satisfied with leaving her fate in broken truths. With a defeated sigh, Emma continued.

"All right, look. I didn't have the easiest life. I made a lot of bad choices. Giving up my son isn't something I'm proud about, but I thought I was doing what was best for him. Then, when he was older, he came looking for me. Henry brought me to Storybrooke. You adopted him. You and I fight a lot. A hell of a lot, actually, but we have one thing in common. We both love Henry. We both want what's best for him and while we may not always agree on what that is, we're a good team. I need your help, Regina, to save our son. You've done it before and I know you can do it again. I have faith in you. Please.." she could only pray that this new information would make Regina change her mind. Her green eyes were glossed over from tears fighting to form pleading for Regina to look inside of herself for any remnants of decency hidden deep within her heart. A tear spilled over onto Regina's cheek as she leaned back against the cage, hand gripping her chest. Could it have worked?

"H-Henry..? I have a son.." Regina stared off into space, trying to process the truth of it all. Could it be that she finally found her happy ending? Swallowing slowly, she lifted her head to look over at Rumple. Then back to Emma. Could this just be true? Or was this a trick to overpower her authority? Any softness in Regina's features faded as she locked her eyes onto Emma.

"If I find out you've been lying to me at any point, or that you're trying to stop the curse from happening..."

'I'm not lying to you, Regina! I'm here to make sure you pull off the dark curse. If you don't, my entire world will no longer exist. All I want is destroy Zelena once and for all, and then go home," she said with great exasperation. Of course, Emma left out large chunks of her story. There was absolutely no way in hell she was going to let Regina know that she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, the Savior meant to bring back all of the happy endings. As though she knew that Emma was hiding something, Regina marched up to Emma until their noses were only inches from each other.

"If you betray me, you'll wish your world no longer existed. Not existing would be a kinder fate than the one I will bestow upon you and your loved ones." Her voice was low, filled with dangerous warning. Although Emma's chin rose in defiance, she said nothing. It wasn't in her best interest to challenge the one she was trying to save. Their eyes remained glued to the other's, waiting to see who would back down first.

"Are you two finished wasting my time yet? As you can see, I'm a very busy man," Rumple broke the silence between the two with a loud giggle, pushing off of the bars as they both turned to look over at him. As if on cue, they rolled their eyes and started to walk toward him.

"As much as I'd _love_ to pull off white magic, I haven't even met this son she's referring to to love him, so what's my alternative?" Regina asked, folding her arms across her chest. Rumple's pointer finger shot out between the bars to point toward Regina.

"You, dearie, are going to need some help. Beyond this realm, there's a witch you'll find incredibly useful. Her name is Glenda. I'm told she's quite the expert on light magic. Unless...I'm wrong. In which case, you're destined to fail." He grinned mockingly and shrugged his shoulders.

"How do we get there? It's not like portals are that easy to come by," Emma retorted, clearly irritated with Rumple. He was so much less annoying in Storybrooke. Rumple sighed and shook his head.

"Why don't you just let me out of this prison and I can do the whole mission for you," he snapped back, shaking his head before looking at Regina who was surprisingly quiet suddenly.

"At my castle, hidden in the attic for a rainy day, is a hat that opens The Portal of Doors. Jump into the hat. You'll need to go through the Green Curtain Door. It will take you to the land of Oz," he continued, staring directly at Regina with his instructions. Emma piped up once more.

"A hat? What sort of a hat? You really expect us to believe we're going to jump into a hat?" Rumplestiltskin slowly turned his eyes to look over toward Emma, a grimace beginning to form.

"A brown hat! Who did they send for this quest in your land? The village idiot?" he grumbled and Regina couldn't help but to smile a little to herself.

"We'll find the hat and this witch, Glenda. Then we will be back on track," she promised as she turned walk away from Rumplestiltskin.

"Good luck, dearie! You're going to need it," he called out after her as he stepped back toward the shadows. Of course, not before Emma caught a glimpse of the smile that formed on his face. Why was he so happy that Emma and Regina were running off to another land? Something didn't sit well with Emma as she turned to follow Regina out of the shadowed area and back in a cloud of purple smoke to return them to Regina's castle. As they disappeared, a loud cackle could be heard throughout the prison.

"I told them how to get there. Never did tell them how to get back.." he titled his head back and cackled, for at the moment, the jokester's plan was working.


End file.
